TAKE-ACTION TOOLBOX #4: SAve the Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act has protected the air we breathe for four decades. By curbing air pollution, it’s directly responsible for saving many thousands of human lives and improving public health. The Act has achieved these successes while saving us money and protecting our economy.

The Clean Air Act’s comprehensive system of pollution control, with a proven track record of success, must now be applied to the grave problem of carbon pollution and global warming. The Act can work immediately by itself or in conjunction with new climate legislation. Now is the time to enforce the Clean Air Act — not gut it — and the Center is working hard with you to make sure this happens.

The Environmental Protection Agency has taken some initial steps toward curbing greenhouse pollution under the Act, but these rules are, or will likely be, under legal attack by industry special-interest groups and backward-looking states. We want to continue to work with you to fight Big Oil, Big Coal and others who want to block the Clean Air Act from curbing CO2 pollution while at the same time pushing the Obama administration to use the Clean Air Act quickly and boldly. It’s our current best chance to avoid catastrophic climate change.